The National tribune., 1887-06-23
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
Scenes on the Tennessee River s5 Years AGO.

scenes on the tennessee River 70 Tears AGO.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: IL was %
years ago that there occurred some lively scenes
on the Tennessee River. Gen. Grant with has
victorious army had Just taken Forts Henry
and DouclsOn, Bowling Green and Nashville
had fallen. aud the army had gathered at Fort
Henry, where there had arrived feet Of some
50 steamers, with Commodore Foote's gunboats,
TO take the army up the river 60 Savannah and
aud Pittsburg Landing. Never was a grander
sight presented TO human eye than the old
Army of the Tennessee loaded on the steamers,
with flags floating and bands playing. As they
started up the river the steamers Glendale and
Silver Moon, with their steam calliopes, Joined
i'm tAe chOrus-one playing Dixie" aud the
other The Girl / Left Behind Men
Amid all our rejoicing au order arrived from
Gen. Haiieck dirociing ten. Grant turn over
his command 10 Gen. c. Il. Smith, and TO re-
main on a boat al Fort Henry. Haleck claimed
that Grant had exceeded has authority by taxi
ing Nashville and claimed he had not reported
the strength Of his army when Grant had sent
full report each day, and had only done what
everyone said WAS right. Hallcck was afraid
Grant would put down the rebellion before he
got down from his headquarters at st. Louis.
We felt IL was an ust 10 our commander 10 be
thus left behind, but he did as ordered, and we
had 10 go up the river without him.
On the way up the faster boats would pass
rcnd tle air a. we glided by. We were lucky
TO be on the Alexander Scott, which was after
ward made the ram Queen OF the West on ac-
count of her speed. We passed every boat on
the river except Gen. Hur.buts headquarters
boat aud arrived at Pittsburg Landing in adj
vance Of the others. We loaded our guns on
the steamer and dcploycd as sllumishers up the
bank and out into the timber, but found no
rebels thcro at that time. Sergt A. ID. Me-
Henry of Co. i, 4lst H.. was the first man TO
land on this historic spot when the army went
up. There had been a com pany Of the 23d lll.
there some time before, and had been driven
OF, with one or two killed. We went out about
a mile and went into camp. The remainder OF
Hurlbuts Division arrived and went into
camp. followed 10y the divisions Of c. L. Smith,
Nv. IL. l.. Wallace commandingl, w. L. Sher-
man, John A. McClernand aud b. L. Prentiss.
Gen. Lew Wallaces Division remained at
Crump's Landing, opposite Savannah, eight
miles below.
Thus the five divisions were camped at Shi-
loh, waiting the orders Of Gen. llalleck. Gen.
Smith met with an accident by which he was
disabled. Grant felt the great injustice done
him, and asked TO be relieved from serving
under Hallecl, but Halleck replied that he
desired him TO 70 aud take command and lead
his army on 10 still greater victories. Smith
had become SO disabled that he was not able 10
command the army, and his injured leg caused
his death later, az Savannah.
Gen. Grant came up few days before the
battle, with orders from Gen. Halleck 10 await
the arrival of Gen. ID. &. Buell. with the Army
OF the Ohio and then Halleek was TO step down
from his headquarters at St. Louis and assume
supreme command, and the whole force was TO
move on 10 COrinth, where Gems. Johnston and
Beauregard had gathered an immense army.
1t was no part OF the program on the part of
Mr. Halleck 10 fight battle at Pittsburg Land
ing. Gems. Johnston and Beauregard did not
consult Hallock but determined 10 defeat the
Army of the Tennessee before the arrival Of
Gen. Buell's army; consequently, an immediate
advance on Shiloh was ordered, IN the hope OF
surprising Grants army aud destroying ii before
reinlorcements could arrive.
On Sunday morning. April 6, the battle
opened with the five divisions camped some
distance from each other. Gems Sherman and
McClernand were assailed, aud Stewards Bri-
gade, on the left became engaged and the battle
ragged in earnest. Step by step the Union lines
were pressed back, leaving the ground strewn
with dead and wounded.
About 10 a. IN. the lines were concentrated
on Hurlbuts aud w. III. l.. Wallace's Divis-
ions, and here a fierce contest began which
lasted seven hours. Charge after charge of the
enemy was repulsed until ? p. m, when Gen.
Johnston, seeing the hopelessness of carrying
the position, aud being determined TO crush us,
he decided TO lead the charge in person. This
he did against the 4lst, 9th and 32d Ill. He
gained the crest Of the ridge and we gave back
slowly, firing as we went. Those who had ammu-
milton left remained and kept up a skirmish
Ii was one OF these skirmishers that shot Gen.
Johnston, cutting an artery in his leg, from
which he bled TO death. A great leader fell
when Albert Sidney Johnston gave up his life
at Shiloh.
This was one OF the greatest battles OF the
war; as Gen. Grant has said, and j am sure
that the losses on both sides were greater than
was ever reported. Gen. Beauregard gave the
rebel loss ia killed and wounded at l0699, in
his report Immediately after the BATTLE which
he admits i'm a letter TO the writer was not cor
rect. III they attacked us with 10000 men on
Sunday morning, lost l0G69 aud could only
| put 10000 men in line on Monday morning, ac-
cording TO Gen. Beauregard's report, there were
still 10000 men uuaccOunted for, and think
their loss was not short Of 10000 men, and that
our loss far exceeded ll,047 men in killed and
wounded. The Army of the Ohio came up and
the division of Gen. Lew Wallace was also en-
gagged on the secoud day, and helped to drive
! the enemy from the field. The contest lasted
all Sunday aud until p. IN. Monday. Gen.
Grant said the burial party reported that they
! had buried 1000 Confederate dead on the field,
which would make the wounded exceed the
! figures given.-E. 7. LEE, Secretary, 4Ist ILL.,,
Cerro GOrdo, III.